Eggshell opener

ABSTRACT

A SANITARY EGGSHELL OPENER INCLUDES A CIRCULAR SQUAREDEDGE SKIRT DEPENDENT FROM AN ANVIL, A U SHAPED LEAF SPRING, ONE ARM OF WHICH IS FIXED TO THE CUTTER, THE OTHER ARM BEING FIXED TO A HAMMER WHICH IS POSITIONED TO STRIKE THE ANVIL WHEN THE U SHAPED SPRING IS FLEXED OPEN AND RELEASED. THE EGG-ENGAGING EDGE OF THE CIRCULAR CUTTER IS SQUARED. THIS IS FOUND TO PROVIDE SHARP, WELL DEFINED LINE, WHILE PREVENTING THE INITIATING OF LARGE CHIPS IN THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE EGGSHELL.

eP 20, 1971 H. D. STRANG 3,605,833

EGGSHELL ormmn Filed June 16, 1969 N VE N TOR HE RMA/V D. S TEA/VG A rrorneys United States Patent O 3,605,833 EGGSHELL OPENER Herman D. Strang, 308 Ridge St., Algonquin, II]. 60102 Filed June 16, 1969, Ser. No. 833,618 Int. Cl. A473 19/28 US. Cl. 1462E 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sanitary eggshell opener includes a circular squarededge skirt dependent from an anvil, a U shaped leaf spring, one arm of which is fixed to the cutter, the other arm being fixed to a hammer which is positioned to strike the anvil when the U shaped spring is flexed open and released. The eg -engaging edge of the circular cutter is squared. This is found to provide sharp, well defined line, while preventing the initiating of large chips in the remaining portion of the eggshell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous devices for opening an eggshell have been proposed. Such devices are particularly useful for removing an end portion of an eggshell to facilitate consumption of the soft-boiled contents of the egg.

Many of the devices heretofore suggested included circular cutters which revolved around the eggshell literally sawing a circular cut through the shell. Some of the devices involved moving circular blades which struck an end portion of the eggshell. Some of the devices involved complicated spring loaded hammer arrangements. It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, easily manufactured, economically sold eggshell cutter for removing an end portion of an eggshell. It is a further object of this invention to provide an eggshell opener which does not necessitate the inclusion of hidden springs, shafts, crevices, or other structural elements which are difficult to clean and which contribute to a generally unsanitary condition of such openers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of this invention includes a platform or anvil, a dependent skirt having a circular opening at the bottom thereof, the bottom edge of the skirt being squared, and a. hammer for striking the platform or anvil secured to an elongated U shaped leaf spring which in turn is secured to either the anvil or a portion of the dependent skirt.

DESIGNATION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the improved eggshell opener of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment showing a preferred form of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the form shown in FIG. 2 is utilized.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an egg with one end thereof removed illustrating the kind of cut which is achieved in accordance with the use of this invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional elevational views, FIG. 5 illustrating a sharp edged cutter, and FIG. 6 illustrating a square edged cutter.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In accordance with this invention, eggshell openers generally 10, 10, include a platform or anvil 11 from which depends skirt '12 which has lower edge 14. Skirt 12 in the illustrated embodiment is generally circular and surrounds region 16 which is of suitable size and shape to receive an end portion 18 of an egg 19. Lower edge 14 of skirt 12 must be circular, and thus engages the external surface of eggshell of egg 19, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6 by line 21. Dependent skirt 12 may depend directly from platform '11 or it may alternatively be a dependent skirt portion depending from end portion '23 of a cup-like member including skirt 12 and end 23.

In accordance with this invention openers generally 10, 10' include elongated leaf springs, generally 25, which can either be U shaped as illustrated in FIG. 1 or in the form of an elongated flattened O or flattened loop as illustrated in FIGS. 2. and 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 leaf spring includes upper and lower arm portions 27, 27 respectively, and loop portion .28. The end of lower arm portion 27 is secured to platform 11 by rivets 30 or other suitable means. The end of upper arm portion 27 is secured to hammer 32 which is preferably made of solid metal. The position of upper arm portion 27 illustrated by the solid lines of FIG. 1 represents the at rest position of leaf spring 25. The position illustrated by the dashed lines in FIG. 1 illustrate a position which can be achieved when leaf spring 25 is stressed to a position which will cause hammer 32 to strike platform 11 upon release. It is noted that striking member 33 actually strikes an upper portion of the end portion 35 of arm portion 27' of leaf spring 25. This is entirely equivalent to striking the upper surface of platform 11 since end portion 35 of arm portion 27' is firmly secured to platform 11, and thus to dependent skirt 12.

In a more preferred embodiment of this invention, leaf spring 25 is in the form of a flattened continuous loop, or elongated flattened O as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Loop-shaped spring 25 of FIGS. 2 and 3 appears to be structurally equivalent to two U shaped springs opposite each other, and indeed two U shaped springs would be entirely equivalent and satisfactory for the purpose of this invention. However, it was found that the result obtained using the opposed, or double looped springs of FIGS. 2 and 3 provides a surprising and entirely unexpected operational improvement over the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. This operational difference will be described in detail hereinafter.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, spring 25 includes end loops 38, 38' and upper and lower linear portions 37, 37' respectively. Approximately centrally at linear portion 37', platform 11 is secured to spring 25 by suitable means such as rivets 30. Directly opposite this region on upper linear portion 37 is secured hammer 32'. Striker 33 strikes upper surface '40 of linear portion 37' and, again, this is entirely equivalent to its striking platform 11 since that portion, 37 is secured to platform 11 and thus is fixed with respect to dependent skirt 12. The position of hammer 32 and linear portion 37 illustrated by the solid line in FIG. 2, represents the at rest position of those members, the positions illustrated by the broken lines of FIG. 2 illustrating a moved position, which causes hammer 32 to strike surface 40 of spring 37 upon release of hammer 32'.

Waterproof disc or cover 38 is preferably placed at inner top of enclosure 16 and secured therein by water proof adhesive, to facilitate cleaning of chamber 16.

USE OF OPENER In accordance with the use of this invention, cutter generally 10, 10 is placed over an egg as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that end portion 18 of egg 19 actually resides within enclosure 16 of skirt 12. Skirt 12 is pressed gently but firmly against egg 19 by the fingers 42 of one hand 43, while the fingers 44 of the other hand grasp hammer 32, 32 and stress leaf spring 25 to move hammer 32, 32'

away from platform 11. Upon release of hammer 32, 32 by fingers 44, leaf spring snaps hammer 32, 32 downwardly against upper surface 35, with a sharp blow. This causes a sharp, well delineated break or cut to occur along the edge 14 in line 21 of the shell. When the device of this invention is used with a soft boiled egg, a skin or egg membrane which occurs beneath the shell generally remains intact and the severed end portion 18 of the shell 19 simply lifts off the skin, leaving the egg contents intact. In an egg which is more firmly boiled but still considered by some to be soft boiled, the entire end portion of both egg and shell can be removed after the shell is cracked, using the device of this invention, providing the membrane is pierced, e.g., with a knife, and this is the condition suggested in FIG. 4.

The general operating results obtained using the embodiment illustarted in FIG. 1, while entirely satisfactory in most instances, have been found to be greatly improved on by the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2

and 3. While I do not want to be bound by any theories,

it is my belief, based on repeated observations, that when the device illustrated in FIG. 1 is used, the fact that hammer 32 is given a certain moment of angular rotation due to the fact that it must rotate through an are along a circular path suggested by the arrows shown in FIG. 1, results in a slightly greater force being applied to the eggshell at the outer portion 46 than at inner portion 47 of skirt 12, (the outer and inner in this instance referring to relative position along the radius of swing ing arm 27 starting at a center of the swing). Thus, when device 10 of this invention in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, is placed over an egg in operating position and hammer 32 is withdrawn a very small distance, insufficinet for cracking of the egg, and this withdrawing and releasing step is repeated, each time bringing hammer 32 back a slightly greater distance from striking surface 35, there will come a transition point at which the eggshell will break only along that portion of edge 14 which is in the outer region 46. Withdrawing hammer 32 a substantially greater distance than the transition distance prior to its release, assures cracking along a line around the complete circumference of skirt 12.

I have found that, in single loop leaf spring embodiments such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, herein, the length of leaf spring 25 (measured from striking member 33 to the mid-point of loop 28), is important. Very short length springs exaggerate the transition problem described above, and cause too severe a blow. Spring lengths, as defined above, between 2 /2 and four inches provide reproduceable blows, and tolerably low tendency to break only one side of the eggshell.

Use of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 involves no transitional distance or stress of leaf spring 25 which causes only partial cutting of the eggshell. It will be appreciated from a consideration of the arrow as shown in FIG. 2 which illustrates the line of movement of hammer 32, that although the opposing loops employed in FIG. 2 appear to be structurally equivalent to the single loop spring employed in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the result obtained is substantially different. Thus, as hammer 32' is withdrawn from platform 11, it is necessarily moved along a straight path and upon release of hammer 32' spring 25 causes hammer 32 to move in a straight line, approximately the axis of circular dependent skirt 12, and no angular moments are generated. Thus, using the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the forces applied to the eggshell are uniform around the entire circumference of dependent skirt 12. However, even in the double-looped embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the spring distance should be more than 2 /2 inches on both sides.

The sharply pointed condition illustrated in FIG. 5 of lowermost portion 50 of skirt 12, produces results which are far less desirable than the results achieved by the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 in which the lower edge 14 is relatively square with respect to side walls of dependent skirt 12. Again, I do not want to be bound by any theories, but it is my belief, based on repeated observations, that using the squared edge structure of FIG. 6 provides a highly improved result because even though the innermost corner 52 is thus pointed enough to focus the forces along a particular line 21 of egg 19, lowermost edge 14 engages the upper surface 55 along now broken line 21 so that the forces applied to the shell through dependent skirt 12 are no longer applied in such a manner as to continue to break the shell, but are applied more or less tangentially against the broken edge of the shell so that continued cracking or breaking is prevented. It is important, in order to achieve the latter mentioned unexpected result, that lower edge 14 be linear as shown in FIG. 3, rather than be serrated.

Thus, in accordance with this invention, the leaf spring 25 serves as a handle to assist in grasping and positioning cutter 10, 10 on the egg and serves to maintain hammers 32, 32' in proper alignment and position for striking platform 11 or its equivalent. Moreover, leaf spring 25 serves the additional purposes of imparting sufficient momentum to hammer 32, 32' to impart cutting forces at innermost edge 52 of dependent skirt 12.

Because of the novel arrangement of components and the unusual design of the eggshell cutter of this invention, no inaccessible moving shaft, crevices, hidden coil springs, or recesses or the like are required, and thus the entire mechanism is readily cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition. The device of this invention can be utilized by a person with relatively no experience and little skill to make clean, neat opening in egg 1'9.

What is claimed is:

1. In an eggshell opener comprising a cutter which includes an anvil having a circular skirt dependent therefrom, the skirt having a lower edge defining a mouth adapted to receive an end portion of the shell of an eg therein, a hammer, and a spring adapted to drive said hammer against said anvil, the improvement wherein said spring is a generally U shaped leaf spring having a bend and two arms, a portion of one arm being said anvil, a portion of the other arm being fixed to said hammer.

2. The eggshell opener of claim 1 in which the lower edge of the dependent skirt is perpendicular to the walls of the skirt at the lower edge.

3. An eggshell opener comprising a cutter including an anvil having a circular skirt dependent therefrom, the skirt having a lower edge defining a mouth adapted to receive an end portion of a shell therein; a hammer; a generally elongated, flattened O shaped leaf spring having a pair of continuous portions connecting opposing loop portions, a first continuous portion being fixed centrally to the anvil, the curved loop portions curving away from said first continuous portion in a direction away from the anvil, a second continuous portion, at a point on a center line which is perpendicular to the anvil, being fixed to a hammer; the spring being so shaped, and the hammer being positioned so that the hammer strikes the anvil when the leaf spring is flexed away from the anvil and the spring is released.

4. The eggshell opener of claim 3 in which the lower edge of the dependent skirt is perpendicular to the walls of the skirt at the lower edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,836 10/1941 Haegele l46-2 2,533,007 12/1950 Haegele 1462 WILLIE G. ABERCROMBIE, Primary Examiner 

